Idolatry and the occult

Exodus 20:3-5

Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God

Brazil is a country steeped in religous traditions, yet the majority of the people here have strong ties to idolatry and the occult. This idol is known as Our Lady of Aparecida in Brazil and is the patron saint of this country. The story of how this idol came into existence begins in 1717, when news arrived that heads of state from Portugal would be visiting the province of São Paulo and Minas Gerais and would be passing through the village of Guaratinguetá on their way.

Three fishermen were sent out by the local authorities to find fish in the Paraiba river. After many hours of fishing, they had caught nothing. Finally, it is said that one of the men, in their last attempt, cast their net in the water and brought back the headless body of a doll. He threw his net in again and reeled in the head of the doll. After that, according to the legend, the fish arrived in abundance for these humble fishermen.

For the next 15 years, people came to the home of these fishermen to venerate the doll. As this cult began to grow and according to the story, many prayers were said to have been answered. Soon this doll took on the name “Our Lady” and her fame and powers began to spread throughout Brazil. Around 1734, the family of fishermen built a prayer chapel, which soon became too small. Twice, the chapel had to be increased in size and finally, in 1834, construction began on a larger church. In 1904, this statue was crowned Our Lady of Conception Aparecida and in 1928, she was proclaimed Queen of Brazil.

Today, you will find statues of this doll all over the country and in gift shops. These pictures of this idol, located to the right and below, were carved our of stone and are located on a bluff overlooking the beach in the city of Torres.

There are hundreds of plaques cemented on the bluff surrounding this shrine, thanking this idol for various blessings or containing specific prayer requests.

We watched as people bowed before this idol, burned incense and lit candles for her, touched her, left offerings or gifts forher and prayed to her.

This last picture is a shrine made for this idol, which is located in the front yard of a residence. It is very common to see small shrines for her in someone's yard, but this is by far the most elaborate we have seen.

Jeremiah 44:25 - 26

Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, Ye and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and fulfilled with your hand, saying; We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her: ye will surely accomplish your vows, and surely perform your vows. Therefore hear ye the word of the LORD, all Judah that dwell in the land of Egypt; Behold, I have sworn by my great name, saith the LORD, that my name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, The Lord GOD liveth.

Wisdom - A Wise Son Makes His Father Glad!

A few months ago, I saw Chase reading his Bible and I asked what he was reading. He responded that he was reading Proverbs 15. Then I asked him if there was a specific verse that caught his attention and he said “a wise son makes his father glad”.

Since that day, I have thought of that verse several times and it was the verse that I reminded Chase about this verse as he prepared to return to the US.

We live in the time known as the information age, but we are certainly not living in the age of wisdom. One tool available to a large percentage of people around the world, which gives them immediate access to seemingly endless amounts of information, is the computer.

Computers can store information, put us in touch with all types of information and can even retrieve information all by the simple touch of our fingers. However, computers cannot give us the ability to use information and knowledge wisely.

So what is wisdom? Most often, it is explained as the application of knowledge, but it is much more than that. Wisdom is God’s plan for creation and our lives as opposed to the chaos, destruction and death that is always present in our world.

Wisdom means to be skillful and successful in our relationships and our responsibilities in life. Wise men and women have the ability to understand what to do and how to do it, in the right way and in the right time. Does it sound complicated? Well it isn’t and here is why.

Proverbs says that a wise son will hear the instruction of his father and that a wise son will make his father glad. The only way that we can truly have wisdom and truly make our Father in Heaven glad, is to submit ourselves to hearing and obeying God’s word. James 1:22 says…be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

So how do we get wisdom? The Bible says that Solomon was and will always be, the wisest man who lived on this earth. So if we are seeking wisdom, it is important for us to understand the source of his wisdom. Solomon did not gain this wisdom by means of accessing information and knowledge through books, the internet or even college. He simply asked God for wisdom and God honored his request.

God has given us that same ability. James 1:5 says, If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
God never intended man to live apart from His infinite wisdom and understanding, so all we have to do is humble ourselves before Him and ask…just as Solomon did so many years ago. Remember, a wise son makes his father glad!

Potter's Hand

Eight weeks ago, we started a journey that would forever change our lives. I don’t know if it is possible to share the range of emotions we went through as we packed up our lives and prepared to move to Brazil. As the day of our departure approached, we were tired and stressed with making sure all the countless details that needed attention were handled. Yet we were excited about what lied ahead for us and greatly anticipated how God would use us in this new land.

The day of our departure was horrible. Saying goodbye to our family and friends could only be compared to saying goodbye to a loved one that had passed away. I will never forget kissing my daughter and telling her how much I loved her. I thought my heart was going to explode. It is even hard emotionally to think on that situation still today. As our plane taxied down the runway, I remembered thinking that when these wheels leave the ground, it will be many months or even years, before I will touch American soil again.

I share this, not solicit any feelings of pity, but to help everyone understand that the call of God is sure and His grace is always sufficient to get a person through all that they have to endure. God will never give us more than we can handle and He proves to us, over and over again, that He will never leave us nor forsake us.

These events over the past weeks, while they have been hard to endure, are yet another phase in our spiritual growth. They are a continuation of us allowing God to shape our lives into vessels that He can use to His glory and honor. I know that every Christian is capable of being a vessel that God can use to His glory, but to do so, they have to be willing to be molded into the vessel that He needs. My prayer is that everyone who reads this article ponders the words found in Jeremiah 18:1-4:

The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

If God is truly the Potter and we the clay, then we have to be able to be molded and shaped into the vessel that God wants us to be. Our current vessels are marred with sin and it takes the shaping of God’s word and the Holy Spirit, to make us vessels that God can use. Here are five truths about making pottery from which we can learn biblical truths:

1. Clay has the potential of being fashioned into something beautiful and useful and the master potter can see the potential in a lump of clay.
2. Clay must have the touch of the potter in order to be shaped into something useful. Without his touch, the clay will never be all that it has the potential to be.
3. When the clay is resistant, the potter spends more time with it and applies more pressure to mold it into something pleasing and useful.
4. Clay that won’t mold to the potters touch or that becomes too hard to be molded is just thrown away. That is why it is important that for the potter to apply water and pressure to clay, in order to keep it moldable.
5. After a piece of pottery has been formed into a vessel and dried completely, it must be put to the fire in order to achieve the end result…a vessel that is “meet for the master’s use,” II Timothy 2:21. Without the chemical transformation that occurs through firing process, an uncooked vessel will dissolve back into mud once it comes in contact with water.

There is so much we can learn from the potter’s clay and just allowing ourselves to be molded by the hand of God. Far too often, Christians will sell themselves short by saying all that they cannot do. “I could never share my testimony”, “I could never lead someone to the Lord”, “I could never teach a class”, “I could never speak in front of a group”, “I could never be a missionary”, I could never be a pastor”. Have you ever said these things? I know that I have, but over time God has proved to me that by His power and might that “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me,” Philippians 4:13.

God’s call is different for each of us, but in order for us to fulfill that call, then we must allow God to mold us into the vessel that He wants us to be. Are you willing to let him do so? Change is never easy and it requires us to step outside of our comfort zone. Sometimes change will even hurt, but where would we be today, if all the martyrs who gave their lives over the past 2000 years, decided that their comfortable life was more important than God’s word?

So, while the changes we are going through are tough for us right now, I find encouragement and hope in knowing that our affliction is but mild compared to so many other Christians….past, present and future. We love this field and the people and we know that we are where God wants us to be. The need for the gospel is great and there is much work to do, so please pray for us that God will give us the strength, direction, and perseverance to fulfill the plan that He has for us here in Brazil.

God Bless you!


The Hatmans
Missionaries to Canoas Brazil

One Thing

The other day I came across Philippians 3:13-14, which says, Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

For some reason, the first thing that popped in my head after reading this passage was the movie City Slickers. Do you remember that movie? The main character, played by Billy Crystal, and two of his buddies, set out on a modern day cattle drive, in hopes of finding out the meaning of life.

At one point in the movie, a character named Curly, played by Jack Palance, tells Billy Crystal that the true meaning of life is "One Thing". However, before sharing what the “One Thing” was, Curly died. As the cattle drive progresses, the trials these men experienced helped them to come to an understanding of what that "One Thing" was for their life. I started thinking about how many people go through life searching for that “One Thing” that will bring meaning and purpose to their life? Even with Christians, how many really understand what their true purpose is here on this earth?

After reading Philippians and thinking about Paul’s life, there is no question in my mind that Paul understood what that “One Thing” was all about. Paul had a single purpose in life after his life was transformed on that road to Damascus. In this passage in Philippians, Paul shares with us “this one thing I do”, in order to help all Christians to keep pushing forward with the advancement of the gospel.

In Philippians 3:13, we hear Paul say, " Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do". There is devotion, commitment, and focus expressed in what Paul said in this passage and for a very important reason. Far too often, we as Christians struggle with things in our life that get us off track. We forget that God has a plan for our life and that the souls of men are at stake. In order for us to progress in our faith and accomplish the plan that God has for our lives, we have to be consecrated to “The One Thing."

Even in his bonds, Paul kept his focus on Christ and the advancement of the gospel. During his life, Paul took the gospel to the Jews and the Gentiles, to heathens and to kings. He recorded most of the doctrine we have in our bible for the church, he spread the gospel in major cities and planted churches in those cities that flourished…yet you see him say in verses 3:13, "I count not myself to have apprehended".

The Life of the Apostle Paul was one that was dominated with a one clear objective---That was to keep pressing towards the mark, that he might obtain the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Paul knew that the Lord Jesus Christ apprehended him to take the gospel to the world. The more he accomplished, the more he understood how great the need was. That is why Paul said “forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before”. He would not allow himself to be satisfied with his accomplishments, because he knew that there was much more that needed to be done.

That need is still great today. We will never accomplish what the Apostle Paul accomplished in his life, but make no mistake….God has given you everything you need to fulfill the plan He has for your life. He might be calling you to reach out to your neighbor, a co-worker, a friend, or family member….He may even be calling you to teach a Sunday school class, to be a missionary, or maybe even pastor a church. Whatever it is, don’t let the world get you off track. Don’t be like Billy Crystal and his friends in this move. Don’t allow yourself to look back over your life and wonder what it is all about. Better yet, don’t find yourself standing at the Judgment Seat of Christ, looking into the eyes of our Lord and Savior, and realize “that one thing” was never your focus in life…keep running the race and pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

God Bless you all,
Harold Hatman – Missionary to Canoas Brazil

Why Brazil

As we move closer to the date of our departure to Brazil, I want to convey something to help others know how we feel about this journey that we are about to embark upon. Following are a few statements that have been made to us, more than once, by others wondering why we are doing what we are doing.

Statement: You must really be special to give up everything and go to a far away place.

The truth is, being allowed of God to do such a thing is so humbling and is many times over a huge blessing as opposed to a sacrifice. It is humbling from the aspect that this is God’s ministry and He has allowed us to be a part of what he is doing in Brazil. At the same time, it is a tremendous blessing because we are so incredibly fortunate to be allowed of God to be Ambassadors of Christ and representatives of HBF to fulfill the role of the local church in this land.

I have never felt that I’m “special” for answering God’s call. In fact, the closer we get, the more I see God’s hand in everything going on and realize that He truly is the potter and we are just the clay. He is the Special one who deserves all the honor and glory from our life and we are just His humble servants trying to be obedient to our Master’s call.

Statement: Why Brazil? There are lost people all around us who need to be saved.

I believe with all my heart that God’s call is for every Christian. Not all Christians are called to the mission field, nor are all Christians called to pastor a church or to be in a position of leadership. However, His call exists for each and every Christian and only requires one to respond with the same response that Isaiah did in Isaiah 6:8. “Here am I, send me.”

Just as He calls a lost person to salvation, he also calls believers to live a sanctified life in obedience to His word. This includes taking the gospel to others who need to hear. Looking back over my life, it is so clear to me that God has divinely prepared my family and me for where He is taking us.

As for the lost all around us, it is true that the need is great, even here in the United States. That is why it is so important for others to answer the call, to reach out to others, to be salt and light in a crooked and perverse nation. We are not leaving a void in the United States. God is calling others to fill the void, to cross rivers without bridges, to free themselves from the affairs of this world, the excesses of life and live a life where others can see Christ in them.

The local church is commanded to go locally, to our Jerusalem, as well as the uttermost parts of the world. If we all stay and focus locally, then the church would not fulfill its role as a local church.

Statement: I didn’t realize that the need is so great in Brazil.

The truth is...there are many places around the world that are in great need of Bible believing missionaries to take the truth of God’s word. Brazil is just one of many such places. Canoas Brazil is a city of over 300,000 people and a suburb to a city of 1.2 million. Canoas is divided into 10 sectors, some of which have as many as 70,000 people.

One such sector is Guajuriras, where the existence of solid Bible believing churches is almost non-existent. Cult churches are preying on the people, combining aspects of Christian teachings with Spiritist teachings; leaving them with a works based message that will condemn their soul to hell.

When I was in Brazil this past September attending a pastors’ conference, one of the pastors told of a man who was saved by the presentation of the gospel on this pastor’s website. The man later called this pastor to find a church close to him, only to learn that the closest church was nearly 150 miles away. This pastor used this situation to reinforce how great the need is in Brazil and to encourage the other pastors and missionaries to keep doing the work of the ministry.

Brazil is the 5th larges country in the world, with over 180 million souls. They are in great need for the unadulterated message of God’s word, His free gift of salvation, and for the local churches that understand their role in fulfilling the Great Commission through discipleship and evangelism. Matthew 9:37-38 says, “Then saith he unto his disciples, the harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest”. John 4:35 tells us to “lift up our eyes and look on the field: Brazil is definitely a field white unto harvest and in need of laborers….we just need to lift up our eyes and look on the field to see the need.